The City Never Sleeps

Nah, nothing got to do with sugar cane drink, but just describe myself as a sugar cane that has been pressed by the machine. All the juices extracted and what is left is nothing but a dry piece of cane. :P

HR lec is kinda passable today, but my Corp Comm group members just realised that they had something to add on. No choice, but to go and cheong the whole thing. In the end, we print and Jane, one of the group member, bind the whole report and submit. Yeah! One project down.

Fly straight to Marriott to get Microeconomic text from sis, so that i could go and print it for her, and ended up running quite a few places to get it done. In the end, get it done at the printer near my home. Sigh...Bedok Central's outlet is a letdown. Anyway, since i am at Orchard, i might as well walk to HMV and buy the uncensored version of Indecent Proposal.

Comparing with the Made in M'sia's version, i prefer made in HK's version. Simple: Attractive packaging, cheap, good quality. For the pice of paper where sypnosis were printed, $$$ were printed on it. Nah, not real US $, but it shows a stack of $$$ with the title in both English and Mandarin. While the made in M'sia's vcd is only 1hr 50mins, the uncut version lasted for 1hr 57mins. Yeah! Long life to uncut version!

But after scanning thru the film, couldn't see much difference from the censored version. Two things worth noticing was 1) The scene where Demi Moore changed her nightgown for Robert Redford has been cut off in the censored version. 2) Plenty of dialogues were cut off in the censored version. Well, it was rated M18 for Mature Theme, not nudity or whatsoever, but that doesn't mean censors can cut off any scenes the like.

Sigh...no time to finish the whole movie...too tired to watch, and have to cheong with the CJP notes. CJP CJP CJP again! shit....

La Yue Shi Jiu in Chinese means the 19th day of the wax month, which is the last moth of the year. It's just like 19th Dec, but in lunar calender lah.

And finally, make my trip to Chinatown with mum, but before that, i went to Tampines Library to get my books for my idiotic CJP notes. The library opens at 1 and by the time i reach there, the library was crammed with several readers. Sigh...holiday doesn't sounds like holday at all. And this is how the stupid FAST system works. It's either you work like there's no tomorrow like a bee, or just too eng eng bo tai ji (meaning too free, and nothing to do. so that's why i watch movies at home for the 2 months breaks lor.)

Went to $$$ Converter's Bedok again for 2 purposes: 1) to see if anyone buys the movie that i sold off, 2) looking for the movie soundtrack of Indecent Proposal. In the end, i get myself The Police - Every Breath You Take The Singles. This album, i can tel you, is no longer on sale in US, cos it was made in 1986. Wow, much much longer than George Michael's Faith man. The songs...almost the same as any of Police's compliation album, but sad to say, it comes without Synchronicity 1 and 2.

Now back to the tales in Chinatown. The first place we went: OG People's Park. Stay there for a shortwhile and went straight to People Park's market. There, we headed straight up to Level 2 to buy cloths. I just wonder when was the last time i saw the shopowner cut out a piece of cloth for the customers, cos there was used to be so much shops in BedokCentral selling textiles and cloths. However, people seems to be finding making clothes troublesome. So the trade declines in Bedok Central. One by one, the shops closed down. As for the shops there, well, life as usual, but their story will have to come an end after CNY, as People's Park Market will be closed down after CNY, and it will undergo a major upgrading. After the major upgrading, instead of savouring the delicious yong tau fu and roast ducks, it will soon be replaced with FnB outlets such as Starbucks and mabey some bakery such as Breadtalk. (Again? I don't know.)

I would say that People's Park Complex and People's Park Market is one of the few great places which still preserves the 70's look, until today. Take a look at the shops there and you can tell for yourself. But this only applies to the Market. Complex? About the same, but it fails to attract teenagers despite that they set up a level for teens. As for the rest of Chinatown, it will be a real letdown to those who wish to take a sight of the old Chinatown.

The new year market was still the same as ever. Everything's modernised, and yes, too modernised. It has lost it's charm and tourist are quite disappointed. Went to the Heritage Centre aka Yuan Mao Guan in Mandarin, which was owned by S'pore Heritage Board. It was a good place to take a look of the old Chinatown in their heydays. (And just for ya info if you had never been there, there is a tailor shop at the exit, where it just look excatly the same as the tailor shop you see in Kung Fu Hustle. :P) If you want to eat there, they just set up another porridge king outlet, which owns a main outlet in Katong. And yes, for gals and guys who loves a hunky figure, the shop features the poster of the owner (who was an ex-model) with his washboard chest. Just wondering: is this a place for porridge or sex?

Had dinner at Chinatown Complex and it was a hardtime for us to find a seat. Had a meal and continues shopping. Finally, went to the bus stop below Yangtze cineplex to get back home.

Mum was pretty disappointed with this trip. As for me, i can only say that buying CD's at Chinatown makes me feels that Chinatown is a place where we still get to hold a piece of the heritage. (Cos i just cheong and cheong to buy CD's, without settling down and take a stroll.) However, this trip changes my mindset. Everything's too modernised and commercialised. The former Majestic theatre now becomes another shopping centre, with shops and outlets where we could get to see in our town area. The old shophouses there now becomes another handicrafts and souvenior shop, or worst, more FnB outlet. Keong Siak street? A stone's throw away from Chinatown complex which still preserves it's charm of being a red light district, but now enhanced with Hotel 1929 and Rairua, a gay sauna.

Well, i will still visit Chinatown, but for 2 purposes: 1) buy music CD's, 2) to buy new year cookies at cheap price on CNY's eve. If not, it is impossible for me to step there again. Just like any other teens, i prefer to hang out in Orchard, and be a Far East kid, or a Heeren kid, Borders kid, Lido and Cineleisure's guru for movies.

Few more days to CNY, and i would do whateveris neded to invite the rooster year. Of course, going to Chinatown on the last day of the monkey year.

Thought that could go to Chinatown with mum and dad tonite, but something just cropped up, so we can only go tomorrow. Whatever. Went to the guy and found out that i had gained 3 kg for the past few days. (What the heck!!!) Thanks to the consumptions of a few coffee buns from Rotiboy, i gained 3 kg. And now i had to shed this 3 kg. Sigh...all efforts to shed that 3 kg killed by Rotiboy. Anyway, the buns from JB taste quite disappointing. While the buns over here are much more softer and less oily, the buns there doesn't taste as soft as the ones here, and of course, a thick chunk of butter in the bread. And that explains why i gain 3kg. (to Renee Zelleweger, if you want to gain weight for Bridget Jones 3, forget about stuffing Dunkin Donuts and making friends with Ben and Jerry. Here comes Rotiboy from M'sia, and after consumption of Mexican coffee buns for a week, you are on the way to become Bridget Jones : FAT.)

And met Jamie in swimming complex. Didn't realised that the sports club booked the competition pool for an event, and everyone is free to sign up. Disappointed him by booking in for Biz sch, and choose not to swim, cos i will drown if no help is needed.

Another few more days to Chinese New Year, and it is time for clearing unwanted stuff and junks. So i cleared my desk and the VCD shelves and cupboards. In the end, i bring the following to $$$ Converters for $$$:

Koma (aka Jiu Min, the lousy psycho thriller by Angelica Lee Sin Jie and Karena Lam), Fleeing By Night (Taiwanese arthouse gay drama by Rene Liu), Mujhse Shhadi Karogi (sorry but Julie is the highlight now.), two films from John Travolta (Saturday Night Fever and General's Daughter. Will upgrade Sat Nite Fever to an uncensored version soon.), Starsky and Hutch by Owen and Ben, Swept Away by Maddie aka Madonna and last but not least, one of the B-flicks which is my fav, Indecent Proposal. Altogether i earn $8 from it.

And you may think: why am i selling Indecent Proposal away? Simple. I am upgrading the film as well. I am upgrading both Sat Nite and Indecent to vcd's import from HK from HMV, where they are now selling at $4.95 each. Most importantly: they are now re-rated to M18 for uncensored version.

But what is the thing i am going to talk about? You may asked.

This is the funniest part i ever seen in some of the histories of movies: A thought-provoking plot which becomes a lousy show. In case you do not get me, this is the story of a couple named David and Diana Murphy (played by Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore) who was in a heavy debt due to recession. They took their last $5000 borrowed from David's dad and they went straight to Las Vegas, hoping that they could win big.

But luck fails the couple. They lost the $5k on gambling table. And here comes John Gage (by the forever handsome Robert Redford), a billionaire who came to the couple's rescue. Attracted by the beauty of Diana, John make an offer to the couple: $1million, 1 nite, no questions asked. And they accepted the proposal.

This proposal changes the lifes of the couple forever. Now, they are going thru a journey of recovery, and at the same time, looking for who they loved.

Now, here comes the $1 million question: why is it that with such a thought-provoking theme could ended up becoming a lousy film? I've yet to watched the uncensored version, but after watching the movie few years back on vcd, this is my 2 cents worth of comments:

1) a good plot, but it sounds inrealistic in real life. Would anyone take up such a offer by offering one's spouse to another interested party for sex? In my view, such things do happen, especially for a desperate couple. Common in US? dunno. In Asia? Common sight, especially in developing countries such as M'sia and Thailand.

2) Will the suffering party forgive her/his partner for doing so? Up to individual.

3) Falling in love with the man who have a nite of passion for $1 million over the man who spends his 24/7 for the past few years with the wife. Can this be real? If this is real, i am not surprised. We are now living in a fast-food lifestyle where everything goes so fast, that relationships could not even hold a candle today, compared to the past. I mean, not much relationship could stay as long, compared to the past. In the past, no one would betrayed or sell each other out for $$$, but in tdy's situation, this is possible.

Anyway, i can only give a full conclusion after watching the uncut version.

One of my best friend's sister passed away few days ago, and i am not award of it until his girlfriend called this am.

And i am not going to announce who is this guy, cos he wants to keep this a low profile. Seriously, i am pretty shocked and surprised to hear that his sister passed away. Just like Manuela and Lola, who met each other in Rosa's funeral in Almodovar's All About My Mother, when we want to meet for tea, it is impossible. Only when something happens that brings us back together, it was some disaster or catastrophe.

Enough said.

...which means Bad Education. Yes, the movie that i talk and talk and talk until everyone gets tired of it, but i still have to say, it, so that i can express my unhappiness on unable to watch the highly recommended drama by Almodovar.

Obtained an R21 with cuts causes the local audiences loses the original flavor of the best film Almodovar made for the past 2 decades. Well, at the end of the day, it stills handles gays and transsexual issues, where guys sexually attracted to guys, and guys who becomes an ah-kua or a drag. AH...I WANT TO WATCH LA MALA EDUCACION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The title may sounds too ordinary, that you might not even would like to read. But this dinner means something to me. it's been 14 years since the whole family had a dinner together outside the house.

Bro and sis brings us for a dinner at Crystal Jade Parkway Parade, and we had our meal at 8.05pm. To my parents, that's terribly late, cos they are used to have dinner before 8, unless they are outside. Initially we would like to have our meal at Crystal Jade in Tampines Mall, but sis suggested to go to the outlet in Parkway Parade. In the end, we ordered 2 plates of fried rice, beef hor fun, roast ribs and 1/2 a bird of duck. All together with a bowl of white rice for mum and drinks sets us a $80+ for a miserable meal. Use the term my bro says, 'you don't feel so full, but at the same time, you don't starve.' It's just like hanging in the middle of hunger and fullness. Get it? The place we were arranged to sit at was terribly crammed too. Imagine 3 men and 2 women = bigger space. We crammed and somehow meal was rather not comfortable.

Sometimes, just feels that, hey, once in a while, we came down for a dinner would be nice. But due to the hectic lifestyle, we somehow has adopted a lifestyle which was totally different from M'sia. Back there, we could just go to any kopitiams, ordered fried mee and fried rice, together with some dishes, and we would enjoy our meals whole-heartly. Here? $80 and still feels hungry after the meal. And of course the lively nightlife simply pulls us apart from having dinner together.

Finally found Rotiboy bakery in Parkway Parade, and true enough, the bun taste good, especially it was fresh from the oven. But, the staff were so slow, that the queue is getting longer and longer. We have to wait and wait and wait.....and it's just like a never ending story. Oh yeah, it was reported in this am's Sunday Times that those on diet (for ppl like me) can enjoy the bun now, cos they had cut down the amount of butter in the coffee crust bun. Yes, butter has been cut down, but still oily as ever.

Going back home was a real killer. After waitng for the cab in 3 places (PP, the road across PP and Roxy Sq) we finally get a cab at Roxy Sq. Not a plesant experience as it was 4 big size members cramming in a cab. Blah! I would rather take a bus.

Like to have more of this in future, but spare us the transportation problems please.

Just returned back from Zouk with Kheng Lin and we feel that we should stick to pubs instead.

Zouk's service is kinda disappointing to us. We reach there and supposed to enter at 9pm, but the entrance to zouk was 10pm, as they need to fix up the speakers or whatsoever. Hey, quite pissed off with their service. We paid the happy hour rate of $12 by 10pm and entitles us to 2 drink, but they are taking their own sweet time to do their stuff. What the fuck is this? As if not enough, we went to Winebar to wait and ordered the nachos. But after waiting the nachos for 15mins, the staff told us that we had to get the drinks before getting the nachos. Never mind, we are entitled to 2 drink there, and somehow i realised that bottle drinks requires 2 drink coupons (each entrance fee gives 2 drink coupons, and u can get 2 drinks there.), and same goes for the drinks with spirits such as Absolute, Johnny Walker and Chivas Regal. And so we shared a glass of Absolute Vanilla with Soda on rocks. Hey, we love it! But 2 men sharing a glass is definitely not enough. Anyway, we had already used up the drink coupons earlier on. KL for a glass of lousy Tiger Beer cos he needs 2 coupons for Heineken. As for me, finally i get a chance to drink shiraz. A big glass of shiraz looks classy and sufficient, but i would say i would rather go for shiraz with pastas or white meats. After all drinks, told KL that i want to go, cos 1) still couldn't pass thru the curfew i set for myself. 2) no chicks or hot babes to look at. It's more like we are talking throughout the whole nite.

Left Zouk at 11.15pm and enter there at 9.30pm. The rest of the time? Dinner at Zion Rd hawker centre, sitting on the playground and parks, talking about life, school, love and sex. Yes, sex all the way, and so if this was made into a movie, it gurantees you a M18 rating. :P

And went to Lucky Plaza's 7-11 to get Jim Bean whisky cola for more, and i almsot ended up vomiting. But i didn't. More rather, i feel horny and wished to jerked off. The 2 men with a reek of alcohol took bus no 7 home and for a time being, i feel drunk.

Feels much more better after drinking chamomile tea rite now. But hopes that tonite will be a lesson for us. Not lesson, but more rather, an experience. And guess what we bring home in the end? a box of matchsticks from Zouk : )

Talking about no pretty chicks in Zouk, KL says there are, but steps in rather late. Yeah, somehow it just looks like sarong party girls to me. And none of the girls looks like Julie.

It was supposed to be a nice Hari Raya Haji holiday for most of us. But not really for my area, if u had read the papers or watched the news.

A fire broke out at Blk 527 Bedok North St 3, which was the block besides where i live. The fire broke out around 1.30am on fri on a malay kedai runcit (or provision shop) catches fire and the fire spreads to the upper levels. 1 Bangladesh worker fell to his death when he attemp to jump down from the 4th storey. 22 residents send to the hospital for breathing the smoke. I woke up around 4am+ to the washroom and hear some vrooming noise, and just wonder what the heck has happen. Sounds like the garbage collector clearing the garbage on the collection station.

The morning i woke up, ma told me there's a big fire, and the moment you open the door from the main washroom, you can see how badly the damage done by the fire. The 3 levels from the 2nd story was burnt badly, and unsurprisngly, the Indian kedai runcit which was just beside the malay kedai runcit could not run their business.

Lesson learnt from this fire? Never jump down if a fire broke up, unless jmping down is the only way to escape. :P

Went to Queensway shoppe to get Teva sandals, but after comparing the price the, just feel kind of disappointed. No discounts compared to other shoes. So just walk around there trying to get myself a tees or a skull cap. Saw a Stussy skull cap or what we usually called beenies or beanies. : ) and after trying it, just find it too short. So, went straight to Orchard to look for more. The result: couldn't find any suitable ones. Enrique Iglesias owes a few and some do look cool, but do i find it here? Nah. So in the end, i bought myself a Billabong tees at Thunderbirds in Heerens.
$32.90 and i get myself a brown tees, and walked here and there.

After this am's usual swim, went to $$$ coverters to check up for any good titles, and bought myself the most unlikey pair of movies: Passion of the Christ and Julie, the hindi sex drama. This is what happens when u choose to watch the film by selecting the song title: steamy sex scenes. Of course, what can you expect from a model who calls herself a prostitute?

And i thought : Hey, people don't sell movies such as Passion of the Christ to 2nd hand dealers rite? But i bought one there. Y?

As i talk about Alejandro Amenabar's The Sea Inside yesterday, where a disable man fighting for his right to die with dignity by being euthanized, this am's Straits Times brings in a piece of bad news for the local film industry.

Bertrand Lee, a Singapore director who graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with an honor of movies (if i'm not wrong) and makes 3 award winning short film for Singapore, met with an severe accident in India. His left leg has to be amputated. He was in Bombay to make his forth movie, where he was hit by a lorry which moves backwards. His left leg was crushed by the wheel and hips was injured. He will have to live without his left leg forever, and he was only 27.

When i read the news and saw his pictures, i realised who was he. He appears on the recent Good Morning Singapore on Ch 8 to talk about his latest short film, Birthday, which represents Singapore for the Venice Film Fest. And the first thought in my mind: oh! that guy. but the second thought was shockening: what? his left leg has to be amputated? (The reaction is just like Rosa's mother reaction when Manuela told her the woman who kissed Rosa's child was the child's father in All About My Mother.) It was a sad story to hear, as Singapore's film industry was still an infant at this stage, and more new directors such as Royston Tan and Bertrand is greatly needed to ensure that S'pore's film industry is growing healthy. Jack Neo and Eric Khoo is one of the few talents, but they will grow old one day. When they are old and feeble, definitely new directors are needed to keep S'pore's film industry going. If not, it will just died down like the 70's. This news is not only a blow to the local filmmakers, but also Bertrand himself. 27 years old and he has a long way to go. Now, the reckless lorry driver simply puts an obstacle to his life by making him a handicap, and we are not sure whether he will keep on making movies in future.

Now in such a state, i just wonder if he wants to go on with bringing in more good movies. If he could learn from famous singer Andrea Bocelli and the late Ray Charles, whom both of them are blind and decideds to keep moving on, it will definitely be a great news to the local film industry. May god bless him and his loved ones, and wish him a speedy recovery.

3 weeks after Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle makes the movie a box office hit, the distributor strikes while the iron is hot. The VCD of Kungfu Hustle was released yesterday. Bought a copy just now and finished the film immedately. Not bad, had a good laugh, bu was disappointed that the film was presented in the full screen version. Why is that so? If u are comparing a movie in full screen and widescreen format, there is a great difference. Widescreen is the format that you see in movie theatres, which is in rectangle. Of course, widescreen format covers a wider area to make your eyes see more thing rite? But when fitted into the full screen version, it means the movie has been formatted to fit your TV screen, where part of both sides of the film has been chopped off, or more rather, you only get to see 2/3 of what you are supposed to see. So that's why i would insist getting the DVD in widescreen format, cos i do not want to see a movie being chopped off horribly.

Back to Kungfu, Chow never fails to surprise us. In short, watch it yaself lah!

'When freedom cost a life, it's not freedom' , said the priest
'When life cost freedon, it's not freedom.' , replied Ramon Sempedro.

This is one of the dialogues extracted from Alejandro Amenabari's award winning controversial Spanish drama, The Sea Inside. Yes, the movie that puts Zhang Yimou's disgraceful Chinese arty-farty swordfighting comedy House of Flying Daggers to shame on the recent Golden Globe Awards. And also, Spain has choose this film over Pedro Almodovar's Bad Education for the enrolment to this year's Oscars.

Watched it at GV Grand after taking a 4 years break from there. Well, it was the last day of the run in Grand. So goes there over GV Plaza, where i went there till sian...

And this is the 2nd filmi watched in theatres directed by Alejandro Amenabar, with the 1st The Others, the horror film starring Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise as the producer. Did not watched his Open Your Eyes in theatres last year, despite the fact that it was highly recommended. Well, it was too old, cos it was made 8 years ago.

The Sea Inside discuss euthanization, where the disabled Ramon Sempedro choose to end his life by being euthanized, or to die by feeding in poison by doctors legally, just like how a vet choose to end the life of an animal who was beyond rescue. Ramon is a former sailor who breaks his spine from his neck onwards when he was diving into the sea in his late teens. Lying on the bed for the next 28 years, he has been thinking of ending his life, but of course, his loved ones does not let him do so. So, he has been fighting for his right to die legally. 2 women step into his life, and he was caught in between to die or to live on. Rosa, a married factory worker cum a part time DJ, chooses living on with life, and wants Ramon to live on despite facing all odds. Julia, a lawyer who is supporting Ramon's decision to end his life, feels the pain he is suffering when she suffers a stroke. In the end, it was a long journey for Ramon to get what he wants.

One of the few good movies watched, and of course, most might find it sian. But if could understand the message behind this movie, you will find another meaning to life.

To those who wants to kill themselves because of relationship problem and financial issues and whatsoever, but nothing to do with physical disabilities, please watch this before killing yourself. You may want to think twice after watching it.

That desribes my Mid-sem test on the test week. Only HR and that's the end. As for CJP and PCC, it will takes place when sch reopens.

And so i am doing my CJP Newsletter in the library, and later, in comm lab. That's where i hear someone keep on calling 'David! David!' several times, till his voice turns hoarse. And i was focusing on my newsletter, so do not bother about the person who called my names (well somehow i just feel that i've been cat-called several times in BNSS, and b'cos of that, if you are going to call my name forseveral times and hide yourself up, i am not responding you.) Only when he stands up and says, 'Hey David, so hard-working huh?' then i realised that it was Clarence. Haha, sorry huh, Clarence, but the things on the computer was so interesting that i am glued to it.

Met Cindy, Kevin, Rajes and Richie before HR test, and the test was nothing to talk about. It's all about steps in forming a union, how to select a maid and what's wrong with the job ad posted. And Clement was pretty surprised when i told him that i had only one test during the term test week. Well, French and HR is down. CJP and PCC still on the deathlist. And of cos Jer's gf (omg, i know how to pronounce her name, but do not know how to spell it out.) was so surprised that my paper finished 3 hrs before her paper, she shooed me off.

After all the newsletter thingy, went straight to esplanade, and u jolly well know what i am doin lah. Proud to present to you: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers extended version + Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. One of the chapters in Bowling looks interesting to me: a cartoon for kids on the History of America, and why eventually everyone needs a gun in US. The animation was created by Matt Stone, the founder of South Park, and thus u can expect very cute and bloody scenes in the short anime, except that the degree of violence is only a very small fraction of South Park. Will continue that later.

And the results for the 62th Golden Globe Awards is out! Yeah! Zhang Yimou's shitty House of Flying Daggers loses to Alejendro Amenabar's The Sea Inside! 3 Cheers to Alejandro! Boo toLao Mou Zi! Anyway, Lao Mou Zi has disgraced the Chinese with his over-artisitc swordfighting films. He should go back to arthouse films, and that's where he belongs. If you are going to comparing a lame sword-fighting film with a movie that discuss one's right to suicide, definitely the latter wins. And the winner for the rest of the awards:

The Aviator - Leo Dicaprio brings home Golden Globe for Best Actor, and it begges The Best Picture. It also gains Best Original Score.
Million Dollar Baby - Only Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank managed to bring home Best Director and Best Actress award. Morgan Freeman unfortunately loses to Clive Owen in Closer.
Closer - Clive's co-star Natalie Portman becomes the new owner of Best Supporting Actress.
Ray - Jamie Foxx did not let us down! He won the Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical by playing the late Ray Charles!
Being Julia - Annette Bening is the winner for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical after American Beauty!
Sideways - A new comedy about alcohol abuse is the Best Picture - Musical/Comedy of the Year, and it owns the Best Original screenplay in a Motion Picture.

And they are marching towards the Oscars 2005 rite now!

Well CNY is just around the corner, and i am handling my HR Paper for tom. CJP meeting postponed to tue! Well i can do my newsletter tom, then go for CJP meeting in am, and go to GV Grand for The Sea Inside in afternoon.

With Chinatown having the fire-crackers session last nite, we are now preparing for the arrival of the year of rooster aka chicken. (And yeah, Sandra Ng promised us with Golden Chicken 3 this year. Hope she won't disappoint us. The 1st 2 are fantastic!) This means the usual spring cleaning, shopping for festive goodies, and of course, new clothes! Will be getting a set of clubbing clothes and accessories, cos Kheng Lin asked me last nite when do i want to go clubbing with him. And so i told him let me settle with CNY 1st, cos i do not want to be too tied up with so many stuff, though i would like to live like a day of a French student: in sch during day, do project in afternoon, and go clubbing at nite.

Whatever. Yensie asked if i would like to go mount climbing with her, and now KL asked when to go nite clubs and clubbing. Clubbing is fine, but if i were to ended up like Cameron Diaz in The Sweetest Thing, be prepared to get life screwed up. The Swwetest Thing had a TV premier on TV 1 last nite, compared to Ch 5 for taking their own sweet time for a TV Premier. Unsurprisingly, it was badly censored, as this was a sex comedy. With the most important scene being cut off totally, where loads of police, nuns and paramedics were surrounding their house, they (Cameron and Christina Applegate, another co-star) found their bestfriend is having a blowjob for another guy, we know, M'sia is not ready for openess.

Well, whatever. So long as i find a right blonde chick to blow my **** while clubbing, that would be great. Best of all, a bottle of ice chilled heineken after a great shag, and having the 8 degrees c. boost with only my jeans. And that makes a great clubbing sex.

and responsibility after that? i heck care of it.

oh god, want a bottle of ice-chilled heineken rite now.

Ah....finally HR report and C.S 2 report is over, and our beloved Mdm Meenachi and Ms Tirzah gives us more time to do our peer teaching notes cum our newsletter. While the newsletter deadline has been extended to next week (which i've no prob, cos i has only 1 paperon the exam week, which is HR), our peer teaching notes for PCC has been extended to school opening week. Yeah yeah!

And finally i had some spare time to breathe. So went to Princess to catch Deseo, an M18 Spanish drama starring Cecilia Roth from All About My Mother. In case u all guys do not know what the heck i am talkin about, this is what happens: Despite the fact that we had Aviator, Kinsey and Alfie opening in theatres, Princess is screening none of it. So they bring in Deseo or Desire in English to screen in the theatres. As expected, the audience treat it as if they are watching a B-Porn in Yangtze. (Deseo was rated M18 for nudity and some explicit sex scenes.) Only 5 audiences were in the theatre for the 1.15pm show, and a old couple was talking when the cast is talking. When the main actress appears naked, everyone remain silent. For those who had taken Modern World History before (people like me), Deseo would be fairly easy to understand. Set in Madrid in 1945 (the period before WW2 ends), Elvira, whose husband Julio, was imprisoned for being a Bolshevik, was employed to work as a maid for Pablo, a German who lives in Madrid. After seeing each other often, they soon falls in love and ya know, what are they doin. However, this leads to jealousy of Alina (Cecilia's most unmemorable role), a bisexual who is Pablo's lover cum a spy where both works for their Fuhrer aka Adolf Hitler. She was attracted to Elvira's beauty, but hates her later when Elvira fully entered Pablo's life. At the same time, Pablo and Alina are working together to ensure that the German Nazi would live long. Things gets more complicated when Elvira decided to leave her ill-stricken mother, Julio and her communist-supporting sister, Raquel. Raquel fall out with Elvira and Julio was worrying about Elvira. When Julio has managed to get hold of information that Pablo was a spy, he attemp to take Elvira out of Pablo, but was killed in the end. The whole movie end abruptly with a drama mama sequence where Pablo and Elvira was standing beside a cliff facing the sea, and was struggling with a gun. The shot was fired and both fell into the sea and died.

FIN, which means the end. And while wqtching Deso, Yensie called. She was pretty surprised to hear that i am watching a Spanish film.

Well some friends just find me weird why do i enjoy watching such kind of films. Well, 2 reasons to support this: 1) Getting tired of watching commercial films. Though i will still be watching commercial fims, but sometimes i need European dramas to balance. 2) Sexual content are only necessary when the director and scriptwriter finds it necessary. If not, try not to. Don't u think it is funny to see sexual scenes in a foreign family drama? And when was the last time Princess screens a European film?

For the past few days, i've met people whom i've not seen for a long long time. On tues, greet Jamie from bus 69, where he was at the station and i am at the top of the bus. In the afternoon, met Lily Lim, my C.S1 tutor. On wed, met Zhongxiao in Biz Park after we had not met for 7 years (cos he did not turn up for the gathering.) in noon, and Jer again in the pm. Not forgetting Shawn whom i've not met after several months in the evening! :-) Yesterday, Jer, Rajes, Jason and Peishin in Eng sch, where i was having my French mid-sem test with Raymond together. This noon after my swimming session, met Charles, Joe, Cindy and a very tired looking Sue in the library. And i thought she was angry with me for not hadling a good job in HR report. Well, a misunderstanding. She was surprised to see me, and of course, smile again.

A summary of me for the past 96 hours.

So sad...Sting is performing in S'pore Indoor Stadium rite now, and i am sitting down here muggin' at my stupid corp comm and HR report. Sigh... can't watch him in person...

And yes, i am grumbling here away on why i can't watch Sting live in S'pore after his 10 years of departure with his Asian fans. Even if i could get the tickets, i do not have the time to sit in the stadium for 2 hrs. Cos sitting down in the concert is as good as putting 20% of my grades on danger : which means (10% of my Corp comm report+ 10% of my HR report), and i do not take such a great risk on it. But look at the other side, it sounds worth it when i use that 20% to exchange for 2hrs with Sting, cos he comes here once every 10 years, rite? Anyway, how much more 10 years does he have ? He is 53, and i am 19. Add 10 or 11 yrs, and he will be 64, and i am 30. By 30, i could afford to watch his concert in England.

And i just want to look like any other good looking man by the time i reach 25. And so that's why i am working very hard on it rite now. But it seems that i need more time to exercise, cos i am eating and eating and eating, thanks to the stress. For ya info, i am 77kg for the past few weeks. Looks? Need to improve.

When working with my HR gp member, their response on this particular group of people (which includes the 2 bitches i detest most) was rather negative. Bo chap, taking their own sweet time and expect others to work hard...of course, a bunch of bitches and morons. And so that's why i hope that i can survive till the end of this semester.

Sigh... Sting is in town tomorrow for his one nite only once every ten years Sacred Love tour. As his fan, i am very ashamed to say that i'm unable to watch him in person for 2 hours. Simple: i can't get up that early for attachment if i go for the concert, and i am not free at this point of time.

Well, his Sacred Love world tour includes Singapore, Bangkok, HK, New Zealand and Japan. And his last visit here in 1994 has drawn thousands of fans here, and of course, it was a sold out. Due to overwhelming response, all tickets for his concert tomorrow has sold out. So additional $70 rear seats were included, and of course, barely a few tickets left. As for the songs he will be performing, well, like what i said, Sacred Love tour. The highlights will be the songs from his latest album, Sacred Love, and not forgetting his evergreen hits, such as Every Breathe You Take, and the song that freaks Jer out, Desert Rose.

And now, two of my other favourite singer will be in town for performance as well. Norah Jones and Diana Krall. The two jazz divas will be performing in Suntec City on 27th Feb and 6th Apr respectively, with N.J taking the 27th, and D.K on the 6th. Well, Diana Krall sounds more intetesting, and it does not clash with anything, cos i am having my 2 mths break. (Wait! Just realised that i may be in M'sia to visit my grandpa's grave on that week in M'sia. sigh...)

All of a sudden, i just feel so tired. I am exhausted. Yes, E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D. Thanks to tonnes of projects in the times of crisis, i am lost, extremely lost. I don't even know how to start my HR report, even though i know what to do for my CJP notes. But thinking of the 2 bitches in my CJP group, it really puts me down, and want to go back to HR. But i just don't know what to do for HR.

Here i am listening to the credit music of All About My Mother aka Todo Sobre Mi Madre, the movie by Almodovar. In fact, it's the song featured in the movie Tajabone that puts me in the current mood rite now. Feels like going out to do my research, but need to finish the basics first. Also, can't go to the gym and pool this am, cos it's raining. Why must it rain always?

Dad asked me when's my CNY holiday, cos we (the whole family) might be returning back to M'sia for CNY. Well, i want to go back, but the project deadline is just after the CNY, and thinking on how the 2 bitches could screw up my work, i am simply not prepared to go for a holiday during CNY.

rushed home after an interview with Rajes to complete my mindmap for selection, then accompanys mum and dad to SIR Building to renew our re-entry permit. That's when Dad asked if i want to go to JB with him. Ok, so i go with him, and of course, there are some changes there.

The usual parking lot where we park our motorbikes has been sealed by the authorities (which is just outside Komtar building, besides City Sq.), and so we had to park outside the shophouses across the street. Went to the usual barber for a haircut and i am going to cry soon...when i requested to have the side shortened, the barbe really had it shorten. Yes, so short that it is going hairless soon. Well, at least he did not shorten the middle. So i could have my usual spiky hairdo. If not..... :(

As usual, go straight to City Sq for shopping. And the 1st thing to do: usual, check up the vcd store. Pretty surprised that the original vcd's of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow by Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie is on sale, despite that it will be released slightly later in US. Had a drink at Coffee Bean and goes shopping for clothes! Yes, time for clothes cos CNY is coming! But before that, walk around the shops and saw some stalls selling accessories. Bought another dog tag with a longer chain for RM 12.90. Wow, cheaper than S'pore. Now, i can place 2 tags together in one long chain : )

Went straight up to teenager's corner, and visited The Converse Shop. Bought a brown tee for RM 40 and feel pretty worth it, cos Op, U2 and the Reject Shop are selling old designs. However, i did not had a chance to visit Billlabong/Quiksilver shop. sigh... and while walking along the shops, happen to walk past a shop which sells Tibetian sky pearls. Just wondered if it is known as sky pearls in English, cos it was pronounced as Tian zhu in Mandarin. It's those long oval white pearls with some circle designs on it, usually tied with necklaces. Jet Li and Sting are the fans of such accessories, and yeah, Sting is crazy over it! It was said that it could ward off evil and protects the master aka owner of the pearl. Wonder if that's true...cos it seems that more guys b/w 18-30's are wearing it. Should i get myself one?

What's really most disappointing was i couldn't locate Rotiboy's bakery! Famous for their mexican coffee bun with loads of butter, it's definitely not for me, but at least i should try it once in my life. Sad man... and we walked all the way, visiting pirated video stalls. Latest release: The Aviator by Leo Dicapro (and it is running in M'sia theatres rite now.), Kung Fu Hustle, Clean (Maggie Cheung's 2nd French drama with her ex-hubby, Olivier Assayas. Really surprised to find it there.), A Home at the End of the World by Colin Farrell (which i mentioned earlier, it has been rated R21 in S'pore), Million Dollar Baby by Clint Eastwood (!), We Don't Live Here Anymore by Naomi Watts, Kinsey by Liam Neeson and of course not to forget Phantom of the Opera, Alexander and Seed of Chucky. But hey, they do not have the vcd of Ray by Jamie Foxx! And what's more, by the time Ray opens on 17th Feb (8th day of CNY) in S'pore with A Very Long Engagement by Audrey Tautou and Million Dollar Baby, we could purchased the Code 1 DVD of Ray in S'pore under NC16 rating. Retali price at $46. What the heck is this? why S'pore release is so slow...

Went straight to Pelangi Leisure Mall to get usual groceries, and went to the vcd shop in the hypermart itself. It was playing CT Girl's CNY MTV, and let me tell u, dad was kinda attracted to it, but me, as a M'sian, feels disgraced about it. Imaging having hot babes and hunks stripping around and dance and sing CNY songs on it...ok,, a moral degration. CNY is more towards greeting each other in birthday suits, instead of brand new clothes...Rather than having firecrackers and red banners around in traditional costume at either a temple or a chinese house, we have it at the beach, with hot babes and hunks performing sexy wild hot dance. The music? even worst. imitation of modern chinese pop. This is where i just feel that CNY is no longer CNY. It has been commercialised...

whatever. go to gym tomorrow.

yes, as if being screwed up by the projects is not enough, i have my French to fight for. We were made to pronounce telephone numbers in French, and this is my home no in French:

deux cents quarte deux, vingt six, cinquante.

As for my mobile:

quarte-vingt dix huit, soixante-dix huit, zero six, soixante-sept.

Figure it yourself if u understand French.

And of course, not to mention the other projects we have to rush for.

While bringing Katja for lunch in Eng Sch's 1st canteen, surprised to meet Clement there. Of course, he was there with Derek and gang, and very quickly Katja and Clement could find a common topic for a conversation. : ) And Katja need to rush back to complie her resume and cover letter, cos the deadline is tomorrow, and her notebook was in a mess. Except for the 2 gentlemen who could afford to chat till 1.55pm, she has to rush back. The conversation with Clement makes me feel that everything in this world is unexpected. Right from the tsunami to old friends, everything is unexpected. His grandma has been in and out of hospital, and i would say that he was pretty stressful rite now.

While on the other hand, i received an unexpected surprise from Eugene thru msn last nite. He learned from the tsunami that life is precious, and thus need to buy insurance. The world is no longer safe, and so we are living in a time bomb whic could explode, minus the time that we known that it would take to explode. Cherish the loved ones around us, cos we would never know how long they will be with us. At the same time, need to adivce him to take time to look for his Mr Right, cos he had a bad relationship before.

life has not being going very well, but at least i can cope with it.

When my attachment groupmates told us that Steven Lim, a local model who strips naked on Jack Neo's Top Fun last mon (2 days ago), i am not surprised, even though i did not watched it. When talked to Jer about it yesterday, he know what the heck has happened.

Now curiosity droves me to his website, and so i went to his website and see the big hoohah. And yes, like some Singaporeans say, it's a shame to have him here. He post his pics of himself totally naked, and yeah, to those skinny and fat ones, he may own an ideal figure, but me, as a guy, is not proud of him despite the fact that he is not sexually attracted to guys. No, dun get the wrong idea, i am not encouragin him to become a gay, but he shows no respect to females. No man should ever expose his birthday suit to a female unless: 1) it's a matter where both parties are willing, and 2) when a man and a woman becomes a couple.

His lewd acts has not only disgusted Singaporeans, but also guys. Yeah, only some horny gays would find him sexually attractive, and hormones starts activating. Hey, he's a disgrace to Nanyang Poly, cos he was a ex-student there.

Hey Cindy, if u happen to read this, just to tell ya, he's one of ya in-direct senior who has thrown Dip in Marketing's face to Pau in France.

being squeezed out loads of time and energy, and very soon, i will ended up like those dried salted fish selling on the wet market.

first of all, CJP is a killer. Loads of info need to be included, but at least we had such a nice tutor, compared to the rest of my unfortunate friends (Jeremy is a typical example. he did not become a salted fish, but more rather a sugarcane with the juice squeezed out.)

Next, deadlines for most projects unfortunately falls on the 13th Jan, Thurs (if it falls on a Fri, die liao!), which consist of an interview yet to be done for CJP newsletter, personal reflection journal, and on 14th, HR report. If that's not enough, there will be a comm skills 2 interview session on 13th Jan, and my French mid sem test on 2-4pm! Of course, as usual, Jer had a good laugh when we met yesterday at Tamp BK outside former Pavillion cineplex to pass him some notes.

oh please kill me. i am so sick of this ! I've gotta rush for all my projects and so on...what is it that i've to rush like mad for a period, and being so free for another period?

WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS?

Cindy was jealous of her dearest chubby, her pet dog. Chubby do not need to go to school, no projects to rush and can sleep for whole day. Oh how good it would be if i can be chubby. Hehe...

Eugene posts his good looking pics on friendster. wow, so free to take the pics man, and i love it. (Hey, dun associate me with gays ok?) but really, i am too tied with so many stuff that i hardly could take any pics. anyway, i dun even have time for Tom Cruise's Rain Man.

Alejendro Amenabar's The Sea Inside opens in theatres tomorrow, together with the highly recommended German sex thriller, Head On. While The Sea Inside is not graded highly by 8 Days, Head On gotten a 4 out of 5 stars. Wow, Head On sounds good, but exclusively at Golden and Cineleisure Orchard. As u can expected, it has been rated R21.

Well, did not go to Shih Han's bdae party as i need to be at home today to take a look at my future bro-in-law, aka my sis's bf.

dinner was ok, but somehow everyone was so quiet. mabey 1st dinner is ok, everyone tend to be quiet.

and talking about rain, yes, it has been raining non stop since i woke up at 9am (and missed the repeat telecast of Some Kind of Wonderful, but whatever, had the dvd rite now.) and the rain stop about 2hrs ago.

a boring day, to be exact. completed my comm skills research and well, going to school tomorrow again. While most are unable to pick up the mood back to studying again, i am rite now able to fully concentrate on my studies, but pls, i want to stay in sch longer before NS.

First of all, a Happy 2005!

Yes, another year has come, and so...mabey just adapting Bridget Jone's lifestyle?

Woke up pretty late, around 9.30am. Mabey to most of u all guys, 9.30am is nothing. But to me, i am used to waking up at 7am or so, cos i am a early bird. Or rather, i do not go to bed that late, like most of the TP's. Was chatting with Yensie and Peipei last nite while watching New Police Story. (sis asked her colleague to buy for her in JB when i said that i would buy it from JB, cos i insisted. and no time to go JB, so that y.) and stayed up till 1.25am or so. Had a nice chat and of course did not finished New Police Story. So continued this pm.

One of the few best action-packed thriller watched in 1st of 2005. Haha, 1st movies to be watched. And after that went to Ngee Ann City's Book Kinokuniya to get my French dictionary. While taking Bus No 7, saw my sec 3 and 4 form teacher Mr Ng K.K near Bras Basah complex. Can't greet him cos i am in th ebus, and he was outside the bus. Queue in the bookstore was pretty long, cos the 20% discount sale ends tomorrow, so everyone is trying to get something before the sale ends, i guess. Oh yeah, once again, met Jonathan and his gf at Borders, and we head towards HMV. He needs to get himself a new bag, while i bring home the vcd of Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Love Actually at 2 for $9.90 from HMV. Yeah, bring home the vcd that i long yearn for, though not as good as DVD. Well, c'mon, vcd is $4.95, and dvd is $23. dun ask for much lah. And while taking No 7 back, saw Sebastian around some eateries in Geylang.

Oh how wonderful this bus No 7 could be. I've met 2 people i know, but could not greet them. Simple: one in and one out.

Hmm... normal start for 2005. Well, i need to work on my CJP assignment, and i just completed that. Now, i need to continue with Comm Skills 2 for my psychological aspects. And tomorrow, Shih Han's bdae party. Sigh.... activities has eaten up lots of my time. And i am sitting down here listen to Julie, oh Julie, oh Julie, you're the rhythm of my life...

and i wonder how many pounds have i put on for the past few days? oh god, please give me time to exercise. OK, no school on Fri. So fri i will have to go for exercise. At least i need to do something before i go fat again.

While chatting with Yensie, she asked me when was my bdae, i told her it was 2nd April. A-ha! she told me that her's was on 1st, Poh Ling on 31st Mar and our long lost friend Xihao on 30th. 30th, 31st, 1st, 2nd. Xihao, Poh Ling, Yensie and me. And Yensie suggested a 4 in 1 celebration. Hey, i love it, but when? And how do we get Xihao? Mabey a guru wouldjust come out and guide us?